Shivers Indeed!
by ribbonetta
Summary: When Karen is sad about being bullied, Butters reads her a fairy tale to cheer her up. Adaptation of "The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear" by the Brothers Grimm.
1. A Day at the Library

Disclaimer: I don't own South Park or the Grimm's fairy tales. They belong to Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm!

* * *

**Chapter 1: A Day at the Library**

"Well, well, well, what have we here? It's another book-loving freak in his natural habitat."

The familiar taunting voice pulled Butters back to reality as he glanced up from the faded pages of the book he was reading. He was sitting at a table by himself in the deserted children's section of the South Park Library, having become its frequent patron for the past week. Cartman stood across from him, his mouth curled into a sneer. Since the mere thought of reading bored him to tears, he had been enjoying himself by wandering through the library and making fun of anyone in his path with a book in their hands.

"Oh, hi Eric!" Butters said cheerfully. He had been so engrossed with the story that he hadn't heard the insult. "Are you looking for a book?"

"No way! I have better things to do than stick my nose in some stupid book," Cartman scoffed.

"This book isn't stupid, it's really cool-"

"Oh my God, you're such a nerd!" Cartman laughed. "I don't know why anyone would want to spend their whole day cooped up in a library!"

"But you're cooped in the library too, Eric," Butters pointed out.

"… So?" Cartman said after a pause. "I'm not like you, I'm cool! And don't you forget it!"

He angrily stomped away to bug another patron. Butters shrugged and was about to go back to reading when he noticed two more familiar faces entering the children's section.

"Hi, Kenny! Hi, Karen!" he called.

Kenny and Karen looked up at the greeting and made their way over to the blond boy's table. Karen smiled shyly at Butters and held her pink princess doll tight in her arms.

"(Hi, Butters,)" said Kenny. "(I didn't know you were here today.)"

"Oh, I've been here all week," Butters replied. "Actually, I don't have a choice. My parents grounded me for a month and said I can't watch TV, so they're making me come here for at least two hours every day."

Karen whimpered at the word 'parents' and moved closer to Kenny.

"What's wrong?" Butters asked.

"(We're here because of our parents too,)" Kenny explained, putting an arm around his sister. "(They're, uh, having a _loud discussion_ right now.)"

Butters nodded knowingly. "Gee, I'm sorry about that. But don't worry, Karen, there's a lot of fun things you can do here. The computers are open and there are plenty of books to read."

"I don't have a library card," Karen replied.

"That's okay. If you find something you like, I'll check it out for you with my card."

"Really? Thank you, Butters!" Karen said, perking up a little. "Can I go look around, Kenny?"

"(Sure, Karen. I'll be right here if you need me.)"

"Okay. Let's go, Dolly!" Karen hugged her doll to her chest and walked away to browse a shelf of _American Girl_ books.

"(Thanks, man,)" Kenny said as he sat down in a chair next to Butters. "(Karen really needs something to cheer her up.)"

"No problem, Kenny," Butters replied with a small smile.

"(What book are you reading?)"

"It's a collection of the Grimm's fairy tales," Butters explained. He held up the book so Kenny could see the picture of a knight embracing a princess on the cover.

"(Karen might like that,)" said Kenny. "(She loves stories about princesses.)"

"There are good princess stories in here, and a lot of fairy tales I've never heard of before. I'm reading one right now that was originally taken out after the tales were first published. It's called 'How Some Children Played at Slaughtering.'"

"(Wait, what?)"

Butters pointed to the two-paragraph story on the page. "Yeah, it's right here. Listen."

Kenny listened to Butters read the tale and his imagination took over…

XXX

The parka-clad boy soon found himself sitting in a field outside of town with Stan, Kyle and Cartman.

"I'm bored," Stan yawned. "What do you guys want to do?"

"Let's pretend that we work in a butcher shop," Cartman suggested.

The others agreed to the idea. There was nothing else to do anyway.

"Since this was my idea, _I_ get to be the butcher," Cartman demanded. "Stan can be the cook."

"Why do I have to be the cook?" Stan asked.

"Because you like animals too much," Cartman answered smugly. "You'd never deliberately kill cows and pigs as a butcher."

"I wouldn't cook them either!"

"I'll be the cook, Stan," Kyle offered. "You can be my assistant."

"Sure, whatever," Stan said with a shrug.

"Good." Cartman turned to Kenny. "Kenny, you can be a pig."

"(Okay.)"

"So what do we do first?" Kyle asked.

"First I need to prepare the pig to be made into sausages," Cartman answered. "You two go get some cooking supplies. Kenny, start acting like a pig."

Kenny got down on all fours and oinked half-heartedly while Stan and Kyle walked back into town to raid their kitchens.

"Good, Kenny. Now hold still," Cartman ordered.

Kenny's eyes grew wide with fear as Cartman pulled a knife out of his pocket and advanced toward him. This was no ordinary game of make-believe…

XXX

"(NO!)" Kenny pulled himself out of the daydream and covered his ears. "(Stop! Don't read any more!)"

"Yeah, this is a weird story," Butters agreed. "Let's see what else is in here..."

As Butters scanned the table of contents, Kenny glanced over at the shelf of _American Girl_ books to check on his sister. To his surprise, Karen was kneeling on the floor and crying into her hands. Kenny immediately leapt out of his chair and ran over to her. Butters closed the book and followed.

"(What's wrong, Karen?)" Kenny asked, kneeling down beside her.

"Eric s-stole Dolly, Kenny!"

"(What?)"

"I-I was looking for a book when he b-bumped into me," Karen explained through her sobs. "He a-asked if he could use Dolly to play a g-game called 'Lambs' and when I said no, h-he took her out of my hands and p-pushed me down!"

Kenny helped Karen to her feet and let her cry on his shoulder as he angrily scanned the room to find Cartman. He soon saw the fat frenemy running out the front door and holding Karen's doll upside-down by her leg. Kenny quivered with rage. _Nobody_ bullied Karen and got away with it. And no doll was safe in Cartman's hands anymore after all of the horrific ways that he destroyed his own stuffed animals.

"(I'll get Dolly back, Karen,)" Kenny promised. "(I won't let him hurt her.)"

"I'll keep an eye on Karen for you, Kenny," Butters offered.

"(Thanks. I'll be right back.)"

Kenny rolled up his sleeves and sprinted after Cartman. Butters patted Karen's shoulder consolingly as tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

"Aw it's okay, Karen. You'll get your doll back soon."

"It's not fair!" Karen whimpered. "Why do people always pick on me? I've never done anything mean to them!"

"I know how you feel. People pick on me all the time too," Butters sighed.

Karen buried her face in her hands again. "I wish I was brave like Kenny and my guardian angel…"

"You are brave, Karen," Butters assured her. "You probably just don't know it."

Karen peered at Butters through her fingers. "Y-you really think so?"

"Uh-huh. In fact, there's a boy in one of the fairy tales in that book over there that has a similar problem."

"Really?" Karen asked, wiping her eyes. "What fairy tale is it?"

"You've probably never heard of it," Butters began, "but it's called 'The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear.' It's about a boy who gets picked on because he doesn't know what it means to get the shivers."

"The shivers?"

"It means to be scared, or to feel like you have chills going down your spine," Butters explained.

"Oh, I know how that feels…"

"Me too. The boy in the story doesn't understand it because he's really brave deep down and doesn't know it. But instead of letting bullies bother him, he goes off on an exciting quest to find out how to get the shivers."

"Wow," Karen murmured, intrigued.

"And during his quest, he also meets a beautiful princess," Butters added, recalling his conversation with Kenny.

Karen's face lit up. "A princess?"

Butters smiled. "Yep! It's a great story, Karen. Would you like to hear it?"

"Yes, please!" Karen answered.

"Okay, come over here and I'll read it to you while we wait for Kenny."

Karen eagerly followed Butters back to his table and sat down as the blond boy scanned the table of contents again to find the story.

* * *

_**Hey everyone! A few months ago my school did a play about the Grimm's fairy tales and "The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear" was one of the stories we acted out. It's such an amusing story, I couldn't resist making a South Park adaptation of it. The tale itself will begin in the next chapter! :)**_

_**Believe it or not, "How Some Children Played at Slaughtering" really is an omitted Grimm tale and was in our play too. I played the kid chosen to be the pig...**_


	2. A Boy Unlike the Others

**Chapter 2: A Boy Unlike the Others**

"Here it is!" Butters announced once he'd found the right page.

Karen peered down at the black and white illustration that went along with the story. It showed a young boy about to pull the rope of a bell in a church tower. He was looking over his shoulder at a white, ominous figure sneaking up behind him.

"I-is that a ghost?" Karen asked.

"Sort of. But don't worry, that part isn't scary," Butters answered reassuringly. "You'll see when we get there."

The apprehension left Karen's face as she gave him a small smile. Butters smiled back, then cleared his throat and began to read.

"'Once there was a father who had two sons…'"

XXX

Butters sat on a stump outside of his cottage, happily singing "I've Got Some Apples" to himself and drawing apples on the snow-covered ground with a stick. He was supposed to be chopping firewood for his dad, but he completely forgot about his task once the song had popped into his head. Butters continued to sing and drew a worm with a smiley face popping out of one of the apples while the pile of logs and axe lay forgotten.

Behind him, Tweek was busy shoveling the walkway to the front door. Stephen and Linda had taken Tweek into their home out of pity after Richard and Mrs. Tweak died a month before in a horrific fire at their coffee shop. Tweek enjoyed having Butters as a brother of sorts, but he wasn't adjusting well to his new parents. He noticed right away that Stephen and Linda were stricter with Butters than they were with him because they were always scolding and grounding Butters over insignificant things. They were also giving Tweek a majority of the chores to do because they felt he was more responsible than Butters, even though he made mistakes and didn't always finish what he started. As a result, Tweek was acting more anxious than usual because of all the work and the pressure of trying to live up to his new parents' expectations. Plus, Stephen and Linda were only giving him decaf coffee once a day as opposed to what his real parents had given him, and the caffeine withdrawal was making him freak out even more.

Stephen walked outside to check on the boys and beamed down at Tweek. He didn't seem to notice that Tweek was scooping up tiny amounts of snow with the shovel and that only a fraction of the path was clear, even though he had been shoveling for two hours.

"Great job, Tweek. Keep up the good work."

"Gah! Too much pressure!" Tweek moaned as he scooped up another sliver of snow.

Stephen frowned when he saw Butters goofing off and marched over to his son to reprimand him for his laziness. "Butters, what are you doing? I told you to chop firewood!"

Butters looked up. "Huh? Oh, sorry Dad! I'll do it right now."

He hopped off of the stump, placed one of the logs on it and picked up the axe. He quickly swung the axe up to chop the log, but it flew out of his hands and hit a nearby tree.

"Oops! I'll get it..."

"No, don't!" Stephen exclaimed, fearing the further destruction Butters could cause with that sharp object in his hands. "I'll do it. Just go help Tweek with the walkway."

Butters left to get the extra shovel from the shed while Stephen retrieved the axe. He glared down at Butter's apple drawings and split the log in half a little more forcefully than needed.

"That boy's a fool," he grumbled. "He understands nothing and learns nothing!"

Butters returned with the extra shovel and helped Tweek scoop the snow off the walkway. After a minute or two, Linda walked outside and went over to the boys.

"Tweek, can you go into town and buy a bag of potatoes for me?" she asked. "I need some for the stew I'm making for dinner."

"S-sure, Mrs. Stotch," Tweek stammered.

"Tweek, you're part of the family now. You can call me 'Mom,' remember?"

"Okay, Mrs. Stotch."

Linda chuckled and gave Tweek a handful of talers to pay for the potatoes. Tweek pocketed the coins and started to walk away.

"And Tweek, you'll get to town quicker if you take the shortcut through the cemetery," Linda called after him before going back inside to resume making the broth for the stew.

"The cemetery?!" Tweek exclaimed, trembling with fear as he thought about the ghosts that were rumored to haunt it. "Oh no! I won't go there! It gives me the shivers! Gah!"

Tweek sprinted down the street in the direction of the regular path to town. Butters watched him leave, confused as to what he was talking about.

"Hey, Dad? What are the shivers?"

"Not now, Butters!" Stephen snapped, chopping another log in half. "Shovel the walkway or you're grounded!"

Butters immediately went back to work, still trying to figure out what these 'shivers' could be. He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize he was tossing the snow back onto the parts that Tweek had already cleared.

Later that evening, Tweek and Butters went to go hang out with Clyde, Token and Craig at Token's manor. The boys set up a campfire in the backyard and roasted marshmallows while Craig entertained them with a scary story he had recently heard.

"… so the man got out of the carriage and went over to the other side to let his girlfriend out," Craig narrated. "And there… wedged into the carriage door… was a rusty, bloody hook!"

Clyde, Token and Tweek screamed in fright and nearly dropped their marshmallows into the fire. Butters, on the other hand, leaned forward expectantly.

"And?" he asked. "What happened next?"

"How should I know? That's the end of the story," Craig answered.

"Oh. Well, that wasn't a happy ending."

"That's the point, dumbass."

"Oh man, that story gave me the shivers!" Token exclaimed.

"Me too!" Clyde added.

Tweek yelped in agreement and ate his roasted marshmallow.

"Really?" Butters frowned in confusion. "That's no fair. I don't think I have any."

"Any what? Brains?" Token shot back, making Clyde and Craig laugh.

"Yeah! If he were any stupider, he'd have to be watered twice a day!" Clyde jeered.

Butters kept frowning as the three boys continued to laugh, his eyes distant. He quietly got up and walked over to the manor's beautiful garden.

"C-cut it out, you guys!" Tweek exclaimed angrily. "Stop making fun of him!"

"Would you relax?" Craig replied. "He didn't look like he understood what we were saying anyway."

"Let's get back to telling scary stories," said Token. "Jason told me a good one the other day…"

As Token began to tell a story about a boy falling in love with a girl who wore a ribbon around her neck, Tweek walked over to the garden too so he could comfort Butters and avoid listening to another scary story. He found Butters by one of the flowerbeds absentmindedly picking the petals off of a snowdrop flower.

"Are you okay, Butters?"

"I just don't understand it, Tweek," Butters sighed.

Tweek put his arm around him. "Don't listen to what they said. They were just teasing."

"No, I mean I don't understand why I don't have the shivers like you guys," Butters explained. He hadn't even heard the other boys' insults because this thought was plaguing his mind at the time.

"Maybe you've just heard a version of that story before," Tweek suggested.

"It's not just with that story," Butters replied, tossing the empty stem to the ground. "People are always saying, 'It gives me the shivers! It gives me the shivers!' But I don't know what they're talking about. Can you tell me what the shivers are, Tweek?"

"Ngh! Well… um… they're kind of like… uh… w-when you… um…" Tweek couldn't think of a good explanation and clutched his head. "Oh man! This is too much pressure!"

"It's okay, don't worry about it," Butters said. "I'll just ask someone else."

Realizing how late it was, the two boys bade their friends goodnight and walked home to go to bed. Tweek fell asleep right away, but Butters tossed and turned in his bed as he kept thinking about the shivers. He had no idea what they could be, but they seemed like a pretty big deal if neither his dad nor Tweek could provide answers to his question. He eventually drifted off to sleep with the determination to figure out what the shivers were so he could experience their magic too.

Butters was still in this mindset as he ate his oatmeal at breakfast the next morning. Tweek sat next to him and dejectedly drank his cup of decaf coffee. Stephen walked into the room and sat at the table, looking like he had something important on his mind as well.

"Butters, I have something I want to discuss with you," he announced.

"What is it, Dad?"

"You're ten years old now and it's time you start thinking about what you want to do for a living. Tweek has learned to work hard, but you've learned nothing as far as I can see."

"Actually, Dad, I have thought about what I want to do," Butters replied. "I want to learn something that I know nothing about."

"Really?" Stephen asked, pleasantly surprised. "That's great! What is it?"

Butters beamed. "I want to learn how to get the shivers."

"The what?"

"The shivers. I want to learn what they are and how I can get them like everyone else."

"T-that sounds really dangerous, Butters!" Tweek stammered.

"Dangerous? It's downright stupid!" Stephen scoffed. "You can't earn a living by shivering, young man! How else are you going to support your mom and I in our old age?"

"I'm sure I'll find a way, Dad. You just watch!"

Butters left the table and happily skipped out of the room to start making plans to accomplish his goal. Stephen sighed in consternation and rubbed his temples.

"Promise me, Tweek, that you won't become a fool like Butters."

"Stop pressuring me!" Tweek cried, forcing down another sip of decaf coffee.

* * *

_**Hi everyone! Sorry for the wait, I've been drowning in schoolwork for the past few weeks. I'll have the next chapter up soon; the picture described in the beginning is a preview of what happens next!**_

_**The brother in the original story is a lot meaner to the boy, is more hardworking and is only scared of cemeteries. I thought it would be ironic to use Tweek since he doesn't finish things and gets scared at the drop of a hat. Also, he and Butters get along fairly well in the show.**_


	3. Interview with the Vampir

**Chapter 3: Interview with the Vampir**

"'Not long after that,'" Butters read, "'the boy's father had a talk with the sexton.'"

"What's a sexton?" Karen asked.

"A sexton is someone who looks after a church and cemetery," Butters explained after a quick glance at a footnote at the bottom of the page. "It's their job to ring the bell in the church tower and dig graves."

"That sounds like a creepy job," Karen murmured.

"No kidding," Butters agreed and went back to reading aloud.

XXX

Later that evening, Stephen made a beeline for Skeeter's Pub. He was still angry with what Butters had told him that morning and desperately needed a drink to calm down. He walked into the pub and spotted Max Makowski, the town's sexton, sitting at an empty table and nursing a tankard of beer. He had black hair and pale skin like his son Mike, but also a friendly disposition despite his bleak job. He also didn't mind Mike's obsession with vampires and insistence on being called "Vampir," assuming it was just a game he'd created after spending so much time around the church and cemetery since their house was next door to them.

"Evening, Stotch," Max greeted Stephen with a smile as he approached the table.

"Evening, Makowski. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all."

Stephen sat down and Max ordered him a beer. Once Skeeter delivered the tankard to the table, Stephen took it and drained half of it in one sip.

Max raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Rough day?"

"Something like that," Stephen grumbled.

"I understand. It must be hard for you and Linda right now since you have another mouth to feed, per se. How is the young Tweak boy doing?"

"Oh, Tweek is doing fine. Ever since we took him in, he's been working very hard and gets his chores done."

"I'm glad to hear that. It's good for him to go about his daily life instead of wallowing in the loss of his parents, per se. And how is Butters?"

Stephen groaned in annoyance and took another large sip of beer. "He's a fool! He's lazy and can't do anything right!"

"So, you're saying…"

"He's more useless than a man with one leg in an ass-kicking race! Why, just this morning I asked him what he wanted to do for a living and he said he wants to learn how to get the shivers!"

Max rubbed his chin in thought. "It sounds to me that Butters just needs some work experience to help him decide on a real career. Why don't you send him along to me? I have a job he can do, per se."

"What is it?"

"I've been busy digging graves during the evenings because of the plague that went through here and I need someone to ring the church bell for me in my place. Mike is supposed to do it, but he likes to spend time with his little group of friends at night. I'd be more than happy to let Butters stay with us for a few days and show him what to do."

"That's a good idea, Makowski. Butters really needs some shaping up."

Stephen explained everything to Butters when he got home later that night and threatened to severely ground him if he didn't listen to the sexton's commands. Butters promised he would work hard and went upstairs to pack an overnight bag. He hoped that he would get a chance to help in the cemetery as well, recalling how Tweek said that the place gave him the shivers.

When Butters arrived at the Makowski's house the next day, Max gave him the key to the church tower and taught him how to ring the bell. He instructed Butters to go to the tower every night at six o'clock, nine o'clock and midnight and ring the bell six, nine or twelve times to signify the hour. The bell's rope was heavy and Butters ended up swinging on it like Tarzan during his first few attempts, but he gradually got the hang of it. Much to Mike's dismay, he was forced to go with Butters for the first two nights and help him. He soon came to tolerate Butters' company, but was really irritated with the way he kept talking about wanting to get the shivers.

"Nice job, Butters," Mike said at six o'clock on the third night after Butters rang the bell six times without trouble. "Do you think you can handle things by yourself for the rest of the night?"

"I think so, Mike," Butters answered.

"Vampir," Mike corrected. "Okay, good. I need to check in on my vampire brethren and see what they've accomplished in my absence, per se."

"Could I hang out with you guys sometime, Mi… I mean, Vampir?"

"That depends. Are you interested in joining the South Park Vampire Society?" Mike asked, taking a swig from his flask of Clamato juice.

Butters shrugged. "I don't know. What do you guys like to do?"

"As our name suggests, we are a group of people who have embraced the deep and spiritual lifestyle of the vampire subculture, per se," Mike explained. "Right now we are looking for others who want to join and become fledglings, or new vampires."

"Gee, that sounds really cool! How does someone become a fledgling?"

"I suppose I can tell you since you seem interested in joining. Do you promise not to share this information with anyone else?"

"I promise."

Mike could tell he was sincere and nodded. "All right. Once the Society and I think a person is worthy of becoming one of us, we ask them to choose a vampire class to identify as. There are three classes to choose from: psychic, sanguinarian, or hybrid. A psychic vampire feeds on people's auras and cosmic energies. A sanguinarian vampire, like myself, feeds on blood and life forces. A hybrid is a combination of the two."

"Do you really drink people's blood?"

"Of course not, that's disgusting. We drink this instead as a substitute, per se." Mike held out the flask in his hand. "Here, try some and see if you like it."

Butters grabbed the flask and took a sip. He immediately spat it out onto the floor, much to Mike's surprise.

"Oh, that tastes awful!" Butters exclaimed and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Mike snatched the flask back, his eyes narrowed in displeasure. "I admit it's an acquired taste, but you'll have to drink it if you want to be a member. Even psychic vampires need to have some once in a while if they become weak, per se. Anyway, once the recruits choose a class, they undergo a secret transformation and become fledglings."

"If I go through this transformation, will I get the shivers?"

"You might," Mike answered with a shrug. "Fledglings sometimes get them once they learn the hidden secrets of the vampire subculture, per se."

"Really?" Butters asked eagerly. "In that case, I definitely want to be a fledgling!"

"Um, okay then," Mike replied, slightly taken aback. "I'll talk it over with the Society and let you know what they say tomorrow."

"Okay. Thanks, Vampir!"

Butters exited the tower with a smile and went into the house to have dinner. Mike glared down at the stain of Clamato juice on the floor and left the tower as well. Instead of going to the Society's meeting place, he quietly snuck into the house and went to his room. He took a white sheet out of his closet, cut two eyeholes in it, and poured some Clamato juice on it in a few spots to make it look bloody. Five minutes before midnight, Mike tucked the sheet under his arm and used his dad's spare key to get into the tower.

"Now you'll learn what the shivers are, per se," he chuckled as he climbed the stairs. "That'll teach you to reject our blood and try to join for shits and giggles."

He quickly reached the top, draped the sheet over himself, and hid behind some boxes near the stairs. Butters soon approached the tower, unlocked the door with his key, and climbed the stairs singing "Lu lu lu lu" to the tune of "Carol of the Bells" to himself. He walked over to the bell and just as he was about to pull the rope, Mike left his hiding spot and made a noise similar to a death rattle. Butters stopped singing and looked over his shoulder in confusion. Mike stood at the top of the stairs, moaning and waving his arms in front of him to make Butters think he was a ghost. But instead of getting scared, Butters blankly stared at the mysterious figure.

"Who are you?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

Mike didn't answer and continued the charade.

"Who are you?" Butters repeated. "You better answer me. You have no business being here in the middle of the night!"

Mike gave another creepy moan as he pulled a chain out of his jacket pocket and rattled it in front of him for added effect. Butters, annoyed with the figure's behavior and suspicious nature, let go of the rope and faced him with his hands on his hips.

"Now look here, intruder! If you don't tell me who you are or get out of here right now, I'm going to push you down the stairs!"

_He wouldn't push me down the stairs, I'm sure_, Mike thought confidently and shook the chain as hard as he could.

"Okay then!" Butters yelled. "You asked for it!"

Before Mike had a chance to get out of the way, Butters ran forward and shoved him. Mike lost his balance and tumbled all the way down the stairs, the sheet muffling his screams of shock and pain. He lay in a crumpled heap at the bottom step groaning and clutching his leg. Butters dusted off his hands and began to ring the bell twelve times.

"Oh boy, wait 'til Mr. Makowski finds out that I stopped an intruder," he said happily. "He's going to be so proud!"

* * *

_**Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for the wait, last semester at school was really busy and this semester is just as bad. I'll have the next chapter out as soon as I can!**_

_**Thank you very much, Frostylicious, for helping me decide on using Mike for this chapter! :) I hope you guys like my interpretation of his dad "Max" as well. Speaking of dads, did anyone besides me cheer when Butters punched Stephen in the crotch in "Grounded Vindaloop"? XD**_


	4. Leaving the Nest

**Chapter 4: Leaving the Nest**

Butters paused and smiled as Karen let out an astonished giggle at the part he just read, particularly at his impression of the "ghost" falling down the stairs.

"See, Karen? I told you that part wasn't scary."

"Yeah," Karen agreed. "Is that guy okay though?"

"Oh sure, he only gets a broken leg," Butters answered. "And he doesn't bother the boy anymore."

"Oh good. What happened next?"

"Well…"

XXX

As the night went on, the members of the South Park Vampire Society grew concerned about Mike's whereabouts and split up to look for him. Annie Bartlett, Ryan Ellis and Lynn Kitty Gelsa volunteered to check the church tower since that was where he'd been for the previous two nights.

"I still don't get it," Lynn mumbled as the three of them walked up the dirt path to the tower. "Vampir promised us that he'd be at the meeting."

"Relax, Bloodrayne," Ryan replied, addressing her by her vampire name. "That kid his dad hired probably needed help ringing the bell again."

"At least Vampir will pleased when we tell him how many cool kids we were able to recruit the past few days," Annie said brightly.

As they came closer, Butters finished ringing the bell and climbed down the stairs. He reached the bottom step and glared at the perceived intruder, who was still curled up under the sheet, but didn't check to see who it was.

"Now don't go anywhere, intruder," he ordered, wagging his finger at him. "You stay here and think about what you've done until Mr. Makowski gets here in the morning."

The figure responded with a muffled groan. Butters walked outside and was about to lock the door when he saw the three vampire kids approaching him.

"Hi there," he greeted them. "Sorry, but the church is closed right now."

"Are you the kid helping Mr. Makowski?" Ryan asked.

"Yes." Butters' face lit up when he saw that their hair and clothes were similar to Mike's. "Oh, are you Vampir's friends from the vampire society?"

"Yes," Annie replied. "Listen, we were wondering if-"

"I'd love to!" Butters exclaimed happily. "Thank you so much for considering me!"

"Considering you for what?" Lynn asked.

"To be a fledgling! I think I'd like to be a psychic vampire. They're the kind who don't have to drink that red stuff in those flasks, right?"

The vampire kids exchanged glances before looking Butters over for a moment, their eyebrows raised in skepticism.

"Look kid," Lynn responded, "we don't let just _anyone_ become a vampire. You don't look like you meet our qualifications."

"Really?" Butters asked. "But Vampir told me that he was going to talk to you guys about me joining…"

"We haven't seen him all night," said Ryan. "We thought he was helping you ring the bell."

"No, he left hours ago. The only other person I've seen in the tower tonight is an intruder that just tried to break in."

"An intruder?" Annie repeated.

"Yeah, it was some guy wearing a sheet standing at the top of the tower stairs. He wouldn't answer me or go away, so I thought he was up to no good and I pushed him down the stairs."

"Whoa," the vampire kids gasped.

"Don't worry, he's not going anywhere," Butters assured them, forgetting that he hadn't locked the door yet. "Wait here, fellas, I'll go see if Vampir's in his room." He slipped his key back into his pocket and started down the path to the Makowski's house.

"Maybe we should give him a chance, you guys," Annie said when he was out of earshot. "He did say that Vampir showed interest in him."

"Yeah, and none of us have ever kicked an intruder's ass before," Ryan added.

Lynn still looked skeptical. "I'll believe it when I see it. Come on, let's check it out."

The three of them went into the tower and were surprised to see a bruised and battered Mike struggling to crawl out from under the sheet, his face contorted with pain. They quickly pulled him out and crouched down around him as he whimpered and hugged his injured leg.

"Vampir! Oh my God, are you okay?" Annie exclaimed, taking a nervous glance at the red spots on the sheet.

"No…" Mike moaned. "I think my leg is broken… per se…"

"Did that blond kid do this to you?" Lynn hissed. She jumped up and slipped a pair of fake fangs over her teeth. "He'll pay for this!"

Ryan grabbed her arm. "Are you crazy, Bloodrayne?! Do you want him to break one of your legs too?"

Lynn considered it, then reluctantly put the fangs back in her pocket.

"We'll deal with him later," Mike said through clenched teeth. "Can you guys take me to a doctor? This really hurts, per se!"

Annie, being the strongest, carefully picked him up. "You'll be okay, Vampir. Vampires are fast healers, remember?"

"Just take me to a fucking doctor!"

The vampire kids exited the tower and took the shortcut through the cemetery into town. Meanwhile, Butters found Mike's room to be empty and looked out the window to see that his potential new friends were gone too.

"Gee, I guess they didn't want me to be a fledgling after all. Oh well. I'll just find another way to get the shivers." Feeling tired, he climbed into the cot Max set up for him next to Mike's bed and fell asleep.

The next morning, Max was flabbergasted to see Annie, Ryan and Lynn pulling Mike up the walkway in a wagon with his leg secured in a splint and cloth bandages. The four of them told Max what happened, but Mike left out the reason for why he'd been in the tower to make it seem like Butters attacked him for no reason. Max was so furious he all but dragged Butters out of bed, made the confused boy gather his things, and marched him back to the Stotch's cottage.

"Your fool of a son!" he yelled when Stephen answered the door. "Do you know what he did, Stotch? He pushed Mike right down the tower stairs! My poor boy's broken his leg and I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of his bones are in pieces as well, per se!"

"What? Butters, how could you?!" Stephen exclaimed. Tweek, who was sweeping the floor behind him, jumped at the tone of his voice and held tight to the broom.

"I didn't push Mike, Mr. Makowski, I pushed an intruder," Butters replied. "See, what happened was-"

"Don't back-sass the sexton, Butters!" Stephen interrupted.

Max shoved Butters toward his father. "Here, take him back. I don't want to see him around my house or church tower anymore, per se!"

He turned on his heel and stormed away in a huff. Stephen angrily pulled Butters inside and slapped him hard across the face before he could explain what happened.

"Oh God!" Tweek cried and trembled with fear.

"I can't believe you desecrated the sexton's son!" Stephen yelled. "What the hell were you thinking, young man?"

"Dad, I'm completely innocent!" Butters insisted and rubbed his sore cheek. "I would never hurt Mike, and he wasn't even in the tower with me! And I asked that intruder to tell me who he was three times!"

"P-please calm down, Mr. Stotch!" Tweek stammered. "I-I think Butters is telling the truth!"

"Stay out of this, Tweek!" Stephen snapped. "This doesn't concern you!"

Tweek flinched as if he'd been slapped too and quickly backed away.

"As for _you_," Stephen continued, turning back to Butters, "you're grounded until further notice! Go to your room!"

"No Dad, please don't ground me," Butters pleaded. "How will I learn about the shivers if I'm grounded?"

"Shivers indeed!" Stephen scoffed. "As long as you live under my roof, I don't want to hear any more talk about such nonsense! Now go to your room!"

"But Dad-"

"Don't make me take my belt off, mister!"

Tweek started crying and sank to his knees, clutching the broom so hard his knuckles were white. Butters looked at him worriedly and made a motion to go over and comfort him, but stopped when Stephen began to unbuckle his belt. Not wanting to anger his dad further, he glumly picked up his overnight bag and headed for the stairs.

"You stay in your room until your mother comes back from visiting your grandma," Stephen ordered. "She and I will come up with the rest of your punishment then. And stop crying, Tweek, or I'll give you something to cry about!"

Tweek whimpered and hastily wiped his eyes before going back to sweeping. Butters was stunned. His dad had never threatened Tweek before, much less raised his voice at him. His shock soon turned to anger and he dashed upstairs with a determined look on his face.

An hour later, Stephen went to the Makowski's house to make sure he and Max were still on good terms. As soon as he was gone, Butters came back downstairs and walked into the kitchen carrying his overnight bag and another one in his arms. Tweek nervously followed him and watched as he put the bags on the floor and started rummaging through the pantry.

"W-what are you doing, Butters? Your dad told you to stay in your room…"

"I don't care," Butters said as he packed some bread, cheese and apples into his bag. "I'm sick of him and my mom always grounding me and not listening to me."

"You're… you're running away?"

"You heard my dad. As long as I live under his roof, I can't learn how to get the shivers. So I think I'll find a new roof to live under until I get them."

"N-no, you can't go! When your dad finds out, he's going to yell at me again like he's done for the past three days!"

"No, he won't." Butters handed him the other bag with a smile. "Here."

"What's this?" Tweek opened the bag to see some of his clothes, his pajamas, his coin purse, and his favorite coffee mug inside. "W-why did you-?"

"I want you to come with me, buddy."

"What?! B-but I don't want to get the shivers! That's too much pressure!"

"That's okay, you don't have to. Getting the shivers will be my quest."

"O-okay... but why do you want _me_ to come with you?"

Butters put his arm around him. "Because you're my brother, Tweek, and I care about you. I would never leave you here alone just so my dad can keep making you sad. I think time away from home will do us both some good."

Tweek managed a smile and hugged Butters. "Thanks, Butters! You're the nicest brother I could ever ask for!"

"You too, Tweek," Butters replied and returned the hug. "There's a small kingdom just beyond the woods that might be a good place to check out first. I also counted the money in our coin purses and we have fifty talers altogether, so that should hold us for a while."

"… Will there be coffee in this kingdom? _Real_ coffee?"

"Yeah, probably."

Tweek grinned and eagerly shouldered his bag. "Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go!"

Butters grabbed his bag with a laugh and followed Tweek outside. After triple checking that the coast was clear, the two boys ran in the direction of the woods without another look back.

* * *

_**Hi everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in awhile, I was busy with work and recovering from getting my wisdom teeth out. The next chapter will be out soon!**_

_**The father in the original story kicks the boy out of the house and the brother doesn't go with him, but I changed it to suit Stephen's parenting and let Butters be rebellious ;). Plus pretty much all of the tales have kids running away from home to have adventures or escape their parents/stepparents. **_


	5. Butters and Thugs

**Chapter 5: Butters and Thugs**

"Okay Karen," Butters said as he turned the page, "this next part _is_ a little creepy, but I'll skip on ahead if you start feeling scared, okay?"

"Okay," Karen mumbled. She was staring at her lap and playing with the hem of her jacket, her lip quivering.

"What's wrong?"

"T-the boy's daddy was really mean… y-yelling at him w-when it was an accident…"

Butters felt a pang of guilt as Karen bowed her head lower to hide the tears in her eyes. He'd been having so much fun reading to her that he'd almost forgotten why she and Kenny had come to the library in the first place.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that part to upset you! Do you want me to stop?"

"N-no, it's okay! I like the story, it's j-just… the daddy…"

Butters pushed the book aside and patted his knee, inviting her to sit down. "Come here, Karen."

Karen hesitated, then left her chair and climbed onto Butters' lap. Butters put his arms around her and held her close while she cried on his shoulder.

"It's okay. Just let it out," he murmured and rubbed her back.

He didn't ask for details or if she wanted to talk at all. Having been in her shoes many times before with his own dad, he knew it wasn't easy to discuss. But he also knew a good cry and a hug from Kenny always made her feel better when she was sad, so he hugged her and comforted her with soothing words until she calmed down.

"T-thanks, Butters," Karen sniffled as she pulled away and wiped her eyes.

Butters smiled and gently ruffled her hair. "You're welcome, Karen. That's what friends are for."

Karen smiled back and giggled at the gesture, her cheeks a light shade of pink.

"And don't worry, the dad didn't see the boy and his brother leave," Butters added, glad to see her looking happy again. "They're going to be okay."

Karen's smile grew. "When does the princess show up?"

"Soon," Butters promised, reaching for the book with his free hand. "The boy has to get past this obstacle first. But like I said, I'll skip over it if you think it's too scary."

Karen nodded and settled down comfortably on Butters' lap as he went back to reading.

XXX

The sun had just begun to set by the time Butters and Tweek made it out of the woods and were back on the main road. They were tired and hungry, but didn't stop until they arrived at a small village. They walked through the open gate and looked around at the quaint buildings with straw-thatched roofs, but didn't see a castle or any regal banners.

"This doesn't look like a kingdom, Butters," Tweek said nervously. "A-are we lost?"

"I'm sure we're close," Butters assured him. "The kingdom's probably past this village."

"W-well, can we take a break? My feet are killing me."

"Mine are too." Butters glanced up at the darkening sky, then led Tweek over to a nearby bench. "Here Tweek, sit down and rest while I find a place we can stay for the night."

Tweek gratefully sat down on the bench and took off his shoes to rub his sore toes. "Okay. Can we stay at a place that has coffee?"

"Aren't you tired?" Butters asked, giving him some bread and cheese to eat while he waited. "Coffee will just keep you awake all night."

"That's the plan!"

The boys shared a laugh at this before Butters walked further into the village to find a place of lodging. He soon came across a tavern that was bustling with activity, mostly because a majority of men were there to see the promiscuous tavern keeper, Classi. Two boys around his age were standing outside the swinging doors as well. One boy was wearing tinted glasses and had his head tilted back at a high angle, and the other boy was taller and slightly wall-eyed.

"D'ah, why'd we come here again, boss?" the taller boy asked. "I thought Classi told you not to come back without the money for your tab."

"She'll get it when she gets it, Mimsy," the boy with the glasses replied in a raspy voice. "Besides, she'd never turn away her best customer."

"Who's that, boss?"

"_Me_, you idiot! Now stay here while I go talk to her."

The boy with the glasses slipped into the tavern while Mimsy stood off to the side and daydreamed until Butters walked up to him.

"Excuse me, does this tavern have guest rooms for travelers?" he asked.

"Ah, yeah, it does," Mimsy answered.

"Do the rooms cost more than fifty talers?"

"I dunno. My boss, Nathan, always makes me wait outside while he visits the tavern keeper. He really likes her."

"Okay, I'll ask inside then. Oh, and is there a way to get the shivers around here?"

"Just get out of here, Nathan!" Classi suddenly yelled over the loud chatter inside. "This tavern's for paying customers only!"

"Be reasonable, Classi," Nathan retorted. "I'll have it next time-"

"I don't want to hear it, little boy! Now get out before I pick you up and throw you out!"

"Gee, she doesn't seem very friendly," Butters observed. "I think I'll find a different place. Thanks anyway."

Mimsy nodded and waved to him as he walked away. The tavern's doors soon swung open and Classi stormed out, holding a struggling Nathan by the scruff of his neck and the seat of his pants. She tossed him into a mud puddle in the middle of the road, then adjusted her low-cut blouse under her bodice and sauntered back inside. Mimsy quickly ran over and helped Nathan to his feet.

"Boy, she tore you a new asshole, huh boss?"

Nathan jumped up and slapped him, leaving a muddy handprint on his cheek. "Shut up, Mimsy!"

"Too bad you're not like that kid over there," Mimsy added, wiping off his cheek and pointing to where Butters was inspecting an inn. "He's got fifty talers."

"Fifty?" Nathan repeated, following his lackey's gaze. "I've never seen him before."

"D'ah, he's a traveler. He said something about wanting to get the shivers."

"The shivers, huh?" Nathan's mouth curled up into a sly smirk. "Well, I think we can help him with that and solve my problem too."

"Oh boy! What are we gonna do to him, boss?"

"You'll see. Just let me do the talking," Nathan commanded. He motioned for Mimsy to follow him and hurried over to Butters. "Hey, kid!"

"Oh, hi!" Butters said, turning to them. "Gosh, what happened to you?"

"It's nothing," Nathan replied, brushing off his muddy clothes. "Listen, my friend here told me you're looking for a way to get the shivers. Is that true?"

"Yes, I've never had them before. Do you know how to get them?"

"I do. See that tree behind you?"

Butters turned around to see a large tree near the edge of the village that, unbeknownst to him, served as a makeshift gallows. Three men in red tunics were hanging from nooses on one of the lower branches, having been executed that morning. Butters had never seen any of the public executions back in his town and stared at the men curiously, wondering what they were doing.

"Yes. Who are those guys?"

"Those men got married to the rope maker's daughters and now they're learning how to fly," Nathan answered, using a fancy metaphor to describe a hanging.

"Oh, okay," Butters said, taking the metaphor literally.

"All you have to do is sit under that tree and keep those men company until morning," Nathan continued. "They'll help you get the shivers."

"They will?" Butters asked excitedly. "Neato! Thanks for telling me!"

"No problem, kid," Nathan replied with a smirk. "After all, it is my job to help travelers who stop by this village find what they're looking for."

"I didn't know you had a job, boss-" Mimsy began before Nathan sharply elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ignore my friend, he's a bit soft in the head. Anyway, all I ask in return is a small fee for my services. Not many travelers pass through here, you know, and a guy's got to make a living."

"Sure, no problem!" Butters set his bag down and opened it to look for his coin purse. "How much do you need? I've got twenty talers-"

"What?" Nathan glared at Mimsy and jabbed him in the ribs again. "You said he had fifty!"

"That's what he told me!" Mimsy insisted.

"Sorry, I only have twenty. My brother travelling with me has the rest of it, but he doesn't want to get the shivers," Butters explained.

"Oh." Nathan frowned, but knew that beggars couldn't be choosers. "Okay, twenty will be fine. You can pay me tomorrow after you've gotten the shivers," he said, wanting to wait until Classi had cooled off before going back to the tavern.

"Okay! Just meet me at the tree tomorrow morning."

"Will do. Let's go, Mimsy."

"D'ah, isn't your tab more than twenty talers, boss?" Mimsy asked as he and Nathan walked away.

"Classi never said I couldn't pay in installments," Nathan said smugly. "And this is easy money, Mimsy. That kid will get the shivers in no time."

"Okay, if you say so, boss."

Meanwhile, Tweek had grown anxious waiting by himself and approached the inn once Nathan and Mimsy were gone. Butters eagerly told him what happened, but Tweek was not thrilled by the news and stared at the tree in bewilderment.

"But Butters, those two guys sound really suspicious! Gah! And that tree is a gallows!"

"Actually, I'm pretty sure that's an oak tree. And they're not suspicious, they're helping me with my quest. Now, why don't you go in there and pay for a room? The sign in the window says they're cheap."

Tweek shook his head and grabbed Butters' sleeve. "No, you shouldn't be out here by yourself! I-I can stay with you, I think I-I'll be okay…"

"Thanks Tweek, but you don't have to stay if you don't want to get the shivers," Butters said, giving Tweek's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be fine, just go in and relax. Maybe the innkeeper can make you some coffee."

"W-well, okay… b-but please be careful!"

"I will. I'll see you in the morning."

Tweek gave the tree another nervous look as he watched Butters make a beeline toward it, then reluctantly shuffled into the inn. Butters set his bag down at the base of the tree and politely smiled up at the hanged men.

"Evening, fellas! Is it okay if I sit here and keep you company for a while?"

The men dangled limply in their bonds, their faces blank and lifeless. Butters took their silence as a "yes" and gathered some sticks and dry leaves to make a campfire. Once he had a small fire going, he sat down and began to warm himself.

"You guys can join me if you're cold. Need any help getting down from there?"

The men still didn't move, which made Butters assume their limbs had fallen asleep from being in that position for so long. Feeling sorry for them, he climbed up to the lower branch and untied them, carefully lowering them to the ground. He climbed down, dragged each of them over to the fire, and propped them up against each other.

"There. That's much better, isn't it?" He sat back down and grabbed his bag. "Are you hungry? I have plenty of food we can share."

Again, there was no response. Butters shrugged and helped himself to some bread and cheese with an apple for dessert. He tried to break the silence several times by asking the men about their weddings, why they wanted to fly so badly, and if they could tell him what the shivers were. No matter what he said, they just stared at him with their unblinking eyes until a gust of wind knocked them flat on their backs.

"I guess they don't like to talk much," Butters said with a sigh. "Well, I'll wait 'til they wake up. Maybe they'll be more talkative then."

He could feel his eyes getting heavy, so he pulled out an extra coat to use as a blanket and rested his head against his bag while he waited. By the time his fire went out, he was sound asleep.

* * *

_**Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for the hiatus, I had writer's block on what to do with the gallows part (which really happens in the tale, the Grimm brothers are weird like that). Since it relates to a future obstacle, I tried to make it funny by focusing on Butters' innocence and giving the bodies red shirts as a Star Trek joke XD. And no, Kenny was not one of them because he's playing another character ;). **_

_**Stay tuned for the next chapter!**_


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